Personal Training

Olya Schaefer admits that, in her 20s, her fitness regimen mainly consisted of diet sodas, cigarettes and infrequent gym visits. When she moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, she found herself trying out a slew of local gyms and fitness classes – but could never find one that fit her fitness needs. A self-guided (and far more earnest) journey into nutrition and fitness helped her figure out that a targeted, personal approach to health is what works best. In 2022, Schaefer opened The Athleticus, where a small group of clients receive personal training sessions, physical therapy, and nutritional guidance from a two-person coaching team driven to help them become their healthiest selves. Here's our lightly edited Q&A, from The Story Exchange 1,000+ Stories Project. How is your business different from others in your industry? Our private studio is an intimate space designed to make you feel comfortable and supported. Our membership is limited to 42 clients, and only 4 individuals train simultaneously, for optimal attention and results. Another distinctive feature is that every client gets two personal trainers, so everyone gets double the expertise. Tell us about your biggest success so far. We completely rehabilitated a client who had been walking with massive pain and a limp. After undergoing hip surgery, he can now squat over 250 pounds, has no pain, no limp and no limitations! We have also helped a client who could not walk more than a few yards. We helped her attend a Buccaneers game and go to Disney World with her wife – activities that involve huge amounts of walking, even just to get out of the parking lot. What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it? I'm a conservative investor, so I will not scale up until I am certain about it. I have seen lots of businesses, gyms especially, fail when they expand. But at some point – soon – we will have to make a decision: Should we just maintain a long waitlist, or do we grow? Have you experienced any significant personal situations that affected your business decisions? In past jobs, I came across many easily solvable problems that I simply couldn’t address because of company policies, approval processes, etc. In my own business, however, I can just decide what to do. And, I do! I can even go back on a specific choice, if it turns out to have been the wrong one. There's tremendous freedom in that. What is your biggest tip for other startup entrepreneurs? Save a ton of money. Work two or three jobs for a few years. Stop traveling, eating out – do whatever it takes. Opening with capital gives you so many options, and so much power! You can hire help, advertise, buy things in bulk, and save thousands of dollars over time. People grossly underestimate how much money they will need, and do not give themselves enough runway for take-off. How do you find inspiration on your darkest days? I knock out tasks. I grind. Hard work beats all slogans and mantras and morning routines. If you work hard every day, for years, you really can't lose. What is your go-to song to get motivated on tough days? I like anything that's happy and upbeat. Who is your most important role model? I like Gary Vaynerchuk, bestselling author and CEO of Vaynermedia, for his no nonsense approach. Facebook: @TheAthleticusFLInstagram: @TheAthleticusLinkedIn: @TheAthleticusYouTube: @TheAthleticus Share your story! Check out our Advice + Tips for entrepreneurs starting-upWatch our latest videosSubscribe to our podcast

Personal Training

A Personalized, Full-Body Approach to Getting In Shape

The Story Exchange

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